Compartment album and filing system



Dec. 12, 1967 G. J. FORSYTH COMPARTMENT ALBUM AND FILING SYSTEM Filed Oct. 22, 1965 GORDON .1 Poesy:

//VVENTOR United? States Patent; Ofi ice.

3,357,762 COMPARTMENT ALBUM AND FILING SYSTEM Gordon James Forsyth, 5938 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, Va. 22205 Filed Oct. 22, 1965, Ser. No. 501,001 3 Claims. (Cl. 312-215) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A portable album record file or carrier contains multiple compartments for individual albums or folios and a separate push button operated latch means for holding and selectively releasing each album. Each album has a recessed latch engaging element and a plurality of albums, or equivalent, can be mounted interchangeabl and carried in a single file or carrier unit, with each album unit securely locked in place against accidental or unintentional displacement. The albums may be released individually.

Background In recent years, a new filing efficiencies have become more important, an album with more practical operation and utility has become increasingly necessary. The principal disadvantages found in filing and collecting photographs are: tediousness in mounting and operation, flimsy materials, absent and untidy identification, lack of cataloguing, disorderly appearance, and limited viewing. An article in Popular Photography, January 1957 said: We all shoot pictures. Too often, however, our favorite vacation, birthday, or family snapshots lie forgotten in a box or at the bottom of a drawer. Occasionally they are posted in a black paper photo album, but even then they are seldom looked at or appreciated. (Harvey Shaman and Dinny Shaman, Be Your Own Publisher, pp. 748l). Other references are found in the inventors publication: An Analysis of Some Photo Albumizing Procedures and Recommendations for Their Improvement, July 1957.

Now in order to acquaint the operators and those skilled in the art of constructing one form of our invention, we shall describe a specific embodiment of the invention in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the improved composite album showing the album rack, a plurality of folio sections mounted in the rack and parts being broken away, one folio section pulled out part way from the album rack, and an opened drawer in the album rack.

FIGURE 2 is a horizontal transverse sectional view taken in detail showing the female attaching holes in the end of one unhooked folio section.

FIGURE 3 is a perspective transverse sectional view taken of one hooked folio section showing more clearly the means for latching the folio sections to the album rack, taken on an enlarged scale and parts being broken away.

FIGURE 4 is a vertical transverse sectional view similar to FIGURE 3 taken in detail showing detaching of a folio section by dotted line view of unhooded latch mechanism.

Referring now to FIGURE 1, there is a composite photograph album whereby an album rack indicated generally as 1, having fiat platform areas or shelves 2, and vertical flanges or sides 3 provide lateral restraint, and contain and store the detachable plurality of album folio section indicated generally as 5.

Embodied behind back section 14 is latching apparatus shown in FIGURES 3 and 4. Protruding. through back section 14 are parts of latching apparatus 7 and 16.

Referring now to FIGURE 1, when an operator wishes to view the photographs or use other collection objects in one or more of the album folio sections 5, the folio section(s) must be detached and pulled from the album rack 1 as presently shown by the one protruding section.

The album folio sections are held firmly and independently in position by latch hooks 7 and guide pins 16.

Referring again to FIGURE 1, whereas an operator wishing to detach a folio section 5 from the rack 1, presses one of the plurality of actuating levers 6, specifically the lever which relates independently to the particular folio section to be detached.

When an operator actuates a lever 6, pushing it as shown by dotted lines in FIGURE 4, latch book 7 is released from the rigid boxed end 8 just inside latch opening 9. The movement that takes place in this embodiment, as seen in FIGURES 3 and 4, is the actuating lever 6 forcing a pivot motion of latch hook 7 which pivots on rivet 10 with actuating lever 6 and rivet 11 attaching said latch hook to box end 8.

As might be presumed by FIGURE 3, all latch hooks in this embodiment are mounted to rigid hook post 12 which stands vertically behind a back section 14.

It is now apparent that spring 13 assures the return motion of latch hook 7.

To attach one or more folio sections 5 to album rack 1, an operator lifts a single folio section 5, pushes or slides said folio section over any unoccupied platform 2 against back 14. Near back 14, the side portion of latch opening 9 contacts angle surface 15 forcing latch hook 7 open. As folio section 5 is moved completely against back 14, latch hook 7 actuated by spring 13 engages back end 8 through latch opening 9, fastening the folio section in position in rack 1.

Returning to FIGURE 1, vertical sides 3 protect and help retain folio sections 5 in place. Also the process of guiding folio section 5 independently are guide pins 16 fastened to back section 14 and protruding through female counterpart 17 in folio sections 5.

Also embodied behind back section 14 in FIGURE 1 is an area retaining small drawers 18 of a plurality corresponding to the same plurality of folio sections Sin which negatives will be filed as a measure of convenience near the photographs which would be mounted in the leaves of said folio sections. An additional drawer 18a would retain mounting supplies. When said mounting supplies included a roll of tape 19 coated with adhesive material. The end of said tape would, as shown in FIGURE I extend through cutaway side 20. In dispensing or cutting a length of tape 19 for mounting photographs, the length would be drawn through slot 20 in readiness for tearing or cutting into mounting lengths.

This invention provides an improvement on other known methods of filing negatives together with pictures. This system provides the flexibility of filing various sizes of photographs or flat collectors items, negatives, mounting materials, and/or mount dispenser apparatus in the composite album unit.

Another specific application is that the user may use the separate album sections to readily catalogue different collections of photographs and/ or other items for filing or displaying therein. The invention therefore teaches systematic grouping of collection items particularly photographs and negatives which have such earnest need.

Therefore an object of the invention design is to pro vide novel and pleasing appearance to encourage order and the art of collecting, and for safety and the desirable presentation and function of apparatus.

The invention does not necessarily include the advantageous drawers or the enclosures shown in the rack in the drawing. However, such enclosures are needed in the system of filing photographic negatives or identification cards.

Also, it is not essential that a roll of special mounting tape or its container or dispenser be included in the invention, but they are useful in the album rack because of the need for such features in photographic collections.

Patented Dec. 12, 1967.

In addition to mounting, the tape is combined for use in identifying and numbering such photographic prints as are included. About /2 inch of Writing space on the tape shows along an edge of the mounted photograph where the person who is mounting may write the photographs identification number. The photo number and negative number are the same, and they relate to each other as follows:

The covers of album folio sections are to be marked in an outside position with the letters A for one section, B for another, C for another, etc., as an example of an improved filing system. The drawers to keep the negatives or identification cards would correspondingly be marked in an outside position with the letters A, B, C, etc. As prints are placed in the album, they would be numbered by hand on the protruding part of the mounting tape with numbers A-1 for the first print in section A, A-Z for the second picture, A-3 for the third, etc. Number B1 would be marked by the first print in section B, B2 for the second picture, B3 for the third, etc. An envelope for each of the negatives would also be so marked and placed numerically in the drawers that have been lettered the same as the album folio sections.

In the home, an attractively designed model wouldbecause of its benefits and efliciencies-be a pleasing aid for the mounting problems of the photo collector. Because of the various convenient features, interest in valuable photographs would be motivated, and viewing made more desirable and done more frequently.

For unit offices of defense and industry, valuable photographs and their corresponding negatives are more simply kept in security protection, and protected from damage by humidity, dryness, and fire by means of special encasement of the complete unit.

The invention is of particular use wherever photographs are considered valuable, or need frequent viewing; also where the quantity of photographs and negatives are eX- pected to continually increase. It also is suitable for larger photographic libraries, especially when the viewing needs are important for a selected collection.

This invention also includes apparatus, the same in spirit as that already described, whereby the latching and releasing of folio sections or documents in the album rack is accomplished with movable hooks, clamps, bolts, magnets, or solenoids. Also, the actuating mechanism for releasing any attached object is similar to that already described, whereby the buttons or handles for release are in other positions on the rack or frame and which may be actuated by pulling, or sliding as well as pushing.

This invention also relates to a method and means for firm latch hook and release devices in racks or frames to provide such manner of holding firm, any especially adapted objects such as tools, instruments and other useful items for their convenient readiness, protection or safe holding in moving vehicles or portable containers. This advantage would mean the availability of tools, instruments, and other useful items in air and space craft and other carrying vehicles and containers.

I claim:

1. A filing unit, comprising in combination a plurality of folio or album sections, each having a rigid hinge plate along one margin and a latch engaging element and c0- operative guide pin receiving opening in said plate, a portable housing having an open front side, a side wall and a rear wall, a series of shelves extending forwardly from said rear wall and forming a plurality of similar compartments each receiving one of said folio or album sections, a latch mounted on said rear wall for each compartment and engaging one of said latch engaging elements in a folio or album hinge plate, a guide pin in each compartment engaging an opening in the hinge plate of one of said folio or album sections and cooperative with said latch means to hold the engaged album or folio in place until intentionally released, and a selective latch releasing means mounted on said side wall for each of said compartments for selectively releasing a single album or folio unit without releasing the others.

2. A combination according to claim 1 wherein each latch element is held in locking position normally by a spring.

3. A combination according to claim 1 wherein the housing contains also a plurality of compartments for phonograph records and the like.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,035,001 8/1912 Guetschoif 312-215 1,240,048 9/1917 James 3 l2-22l 1,265,054 5/1918 Clauson 312--215 1,414,160 4/1922 Taylor 3 l2289 2,013,012 9/1935 Tauschek 3l2-215 2,802,677 7/1957 Forsyth 281-16 3,109,686 11/1963 Watts 3l22l5 3,116,959 1/1964 Abodeely 312-320 X 3,150,902 9/1964 Naab 3 l2-217 CHANCELLOR E. HARRIS, Primary Examiner. 

1. A FILING UNIT, COMPRISING IN COMBINATION A PLURALITY OF FOLIO OR ALBUM SECTIONS, EACH HAVING A RIGID HINGE PLATE ALONG ONE MARGIN AND A LATCH ENGAGING ELEMENT AND COOPERATIVE GUIDE PIN RECEIVING OPENING IN SAID PLATE, A PORTABLE HOUSING HAVING AN OPEN FRONT SIDE, A SIDE WALL AND A REAR WALL, A SERIES OF SHELVES EXTENDING FORWARDLY FROM SAID REAR WALL AND FORMING A PLURALITY OF SIMILAR COMPARTMENTS EACH RECEIVING ONE OF SAID FOLIO OR ALBUM SECTIONS, A LATCH MOUNTED ON SAID REAR WALL FOR EACH COMPARTMENT AND ENGAGING ONE OF SAID LATCH ENGAGING ELEMENTS IN A FOLIO OR ALBUM HINGE PLATE, A GUIDE PIN IN EACH COMPARTMENT ENGAGING AN OPENING IN THE HINGE PLATE OF ONE OF SAID FOLIO OR ALBUM SECTIONS AND COOPERATIVE WITH SAID LATCH MEANS TO HOLD THE ENGAGED ALBUM OR FOLIO IN PLACE UNTIL INTENTIONALLY RELEASED, AND A SELECTIVE LATCH RELEASING MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID SIDE WALL FOR EACH OF SAID COMPARTMENTS FOR SELECTIVELY RELEASING A SINGLE ALBUM OR FOLIO UNIT WITHOUT RELEASING THE OTHERS. 